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A new fire Monday morning near Alum Rock Park ignited fresh fears that a serial arsonist is still setting blazes across San Jose, with roughly a dozen reported in the last six days. George Kiriyama reports. (Published Monday, Jan. 13, 2014)

Updated at 8:54 AM PDT on Tuesday, Jan 14, 2014

San Jose residents remain on edge as authorities search for the serial arsonist accused of setting roughly a dozen fires in under a week.

Authorities ruled out arson as the cause of a two-alarm blaze near Alum Rock Park Monday, saying it was not connected to the 13 fires set in and around the downtown area of the city in the last week. But the early morning fire, believed to be caused by a smoker outside on a deck on the 17000 block of Crothers Drive, ignited fresh fears about the serial fire-setter’s work.

"Everybody's just scared right now," San Jose resident Jose Lara said. "Everybody's just thinking about it. To see where he's going to target. Where he's going to do his thing and stuff. Everybody's afraid."

Investigators said the arsonist is starting fires on people's porches and torching things like newspapers and furniture. Resident Betsy Long said she purchased a motion-detection light for her porch as well as a chain to lock her front gates in response to the fires.

San Jose Firefighters Hunt Serial Arsonist; $10,000 Reward

A new fire Monday morning near Alum Rock Park ignited fresh fears that a serial arsonist is still setting blazes across San Jose, with roughly a dozen reported in the last six days. Damian Trujillo reports. (Published Monday, Jan. 13, 2014)

"You're so vulnerable," she said. "Basically I feel like I should sit out here all night long and sleep during the day."

There were five arsons reported over the weekend, including three on Sunday. Two of those three fires were reported on South 24th Street and in the lot of the Greater Saint John Baptist Church at 1230 E. San Antonio St., which had been damaged by another arson fire on Wednesday.

Police said that these small blazes are likely connected to fires set on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday, all between the hours of 2 a.m. and 6 a.m. They were all reported between Santa Clara and William streets.

New Fire Ignites Fresh Concerns Over Serial Arsonist in San Jose

A new fire Monday morning near Alum Rock Park ignited fresh fears that a serial arsonist is still setting blazes across San Jose, with roughly a dozen reported in the last six days. Capt. Rob Brown quickly determined it wasn't connected to a string of 11 arsons and two undetermined fires set since Jan. 8. Still, the city remained on edge for a suspect described as "super skinny" with distinctive glasses. Peggy Bunker reports (Published Monday, Jan. 13, 2014)

"We have experienced a rash of very dangerous fires that our fire officials will inform you have been intentionally set," San Jose Battalion Chief Robert Sapien said. "These fires have targeted San Jose residents in the darkest hours of the night when they are most vulnerable. We have been very fortunate that these incidents have not resulted in serious injury or death to our residents. Should these fires continue, I feel that this good fortune could run out."

On Saturday, the San Jose Firefighters Association put up a $10,000 reward for information leading to the arrest and conviction of the person, or persons, responsible for starting these fires. Investigators released a sketch of the suspect -- a "real skinny" man with distinctive large frame glasses -- based on witness descriptions and images taken from surveillance cameras.

The suspect is described as about 25 to 40 years old and 6 feet to 6 feet 2 inches tall, weighing between 160 and 180 pounds.

RAW VIDEO: Two More Possible Arson Fires in Downtown San Jose

Firefighters in San Jose are investigating two suspicious fires Sunday morning and believe they may have been set by a serial arsonist that has lit fire to numerous buildings in the downtown area this week. Here is raw video of NBC Bay Area's interview with San Jose Fire Department Capt. Barry Ehlers. He speaks about these most-recent fires and the investigation. (Published Sunday, Jan. 12, 2014)

His hair is dark and medium-length, and he wears distinctive large frame glasses.

Dr. Leonard Donk of Cupertino, a forensic psychologist and criminal profiler who has analyzed the work of previous serial arsonists, said the man behind the latest blazes is likely "not a pro" since he does not appear to use gels or accelerants.

Donk said the arsonist in this case is probably from the same neighborhood and has few friends.

“First of all, he’s an angry guy,” Donk said. “Very much into destruction. Doesn’t know what it’s about. Could be vandalism, could be attention seeking.”

Investigation on String of San Jose House Fires Continues

The San Jose Fire Department Saturday is urging people to be on high alert following a string of fires in the downtown area, including one early this morning. Investigators believe most of the fires were deliberately set. NBC Bay Area's Kimberly Tere reports from the scene of the most-recent fire. (Published Saturday, Jan. 11, 2014)